HB 3430: Court costs; stating purpose of court cost compliance program; effective date. - Oklahoma

House Committee Substitute → Floor (House) · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was transitioned from a House Committee version to the House Floor version, incorporating amendments from the Senate. The most significant substantive change is the addition of Senator Hamilton to the list of bill sponsors, indicating the bill has been amended and approved by the Senate. The text of the actual legal provisions (Sections 1 and 2) appears unchanged in this specific diff, suggesting the floor version currently mirrors the committee substitute's legal content.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on court cost compliance, judgment enforcement timelines, and the collection of fines and fees, with no new substantive policy areas added in this specific diff.

TECHNICAL

Added Senator Hamilton as a co-sponsor of the bill, reflecting Senate amendments.

Updated the document header to reflect 'House of Representatives - Floor Version' and adjusted page numbering and formatting to align with floor procedures.

Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 → House Committee Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten to replace a 'Proposed Policy Committee Substitute' with a 'House Committee Substitute,' resulting in significant substantive changes. The new version expands the scope of the court cost compliance program to include misdemeanor warrants and allows sheriffs to contract with third-party liaisons for debt recovery. It also introduces new procedures for setting payment conditions at initial hearings and modifies the timeline for enforcing judgments.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a general court cost compliance framework to explicitly include misdemeanor warrants and authorized the use of third-party contractors (court cost compliance liaisons) administered by county sheriffs.

ELIGIBILITY

Added eligibility for the court cost compliance program to include persons with outstanding misdemeanor or cost-related warrants.

ENFORCEMENT

Authorized county sheriffs to contract with third-party 'court cost compliance liaisons' to locate debtors and recover fines and fees.

REQUIREMENT

Modified procedures to allow courts to order specific payment conditions during initial or subsequent cost hearings.

TIMELINE

Decreased certain time limitations for addressing delinquent payment status in cases.

TECHNICAL

Removed the 'Proposed Policy Committee Substitute' header and replaced it with the official 'House Committee Substitute' text.

Engrossed → Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten by the Policy Committee to replace the original text with a streamlined version that removes complex enforcement mechanisms like arrest warrants and willfulness hearings. The new version focuses on establishing a Court Cost Compliance Program to assist sheriffs and courts in collecting fines and fees while simplifying procedures for defendants.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from a detailed enforcement framework including arrest warrants and driving suspensions to a simplified compliance program focused on payment plans and administrative collection.

ENFORCEMENT

Removed provisions for cost arrest warrants, cost cite and release warrants, and willfulness hearings that previously allowed for more aggressive collection tactics.

Replaced the previous enforcement structure with a focus on payment plans and administrative procedures rather than immediate arrest or suspension of driving privileges.

DEFINITION

Deleted specific definitions for 'cost arrest warrant', 'cost cite and release warrant', and 'willfulness hearing' that were central to the original enforcement strategy.

Removed definitions for 'payment-in-full' and 'payment-in-installments' which were replaced by general references to the compliance program.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new Court Cost Compliance Program designed to assist sheriffs and courts in collecting fines, costs, fees, and assessments.

Introduced → Engrossed · 6 edits · Mar 26, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was reorganized and expanded to include a comprehensive definition of court financial obligations and new procedures for determining a defendant's ability to pay. It introduces specific definitions for different types of warrants and establishes a structured process for hardship waivers, ensuring courts consider factors like income, health, and family size before imposing financial penalties.

Scope change

The bill's scope broadened from a general compliance program to include detailed statutory definitions for warrants and a formalized framework for assessing indigency and waiving debts based on specific financial and health criteria.

DEFINITION

Added precise definitions for 'Cost arrest warrant,' 'Cost cite and release warrant,' 'Cost hearing,' 'Court financial obligation,' 'Payment-in-full,' 'Payment-in-installments,' and 'Willfulness hearing' to standardize legal terminology.

ELIGIBILITY

Established specific criteria for presuming a defendant is unable to pay, including total disability, receipt of need-based government assistance, subsidized housing, or income below 150% of the federal poverty level.

REQUIREMENT

Required courts to conduct ability-to-pay hearings at sentencing to determine if defendants can afford fines and costs, considering factors such as household income, living expenses, dependents, assets, and health conditions.

Modified the process for imposing fines by requiring courts to relieve defendants of debt through hardship waivers if they are found unable to pay, rather than automatically enforcing collection.

EXEMPTIONS

Specified that child support income, need-based government assistance, and bankruptcy-exempt assets must not be counted as income or assets when calculating a defendant's ability to pay.

TECHNICAL

Removed the old introductory text and previous statutory references to streamline the bill and focus on the new, detailed amendments to 22 O.S. 2021, Section 983.

Court costs; stating purpose of court cost compliance program; effective date.

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